Between You and Me
by gnbrules
Summary: Tags to Shawn Takes a Shot in the Dark. Each chapter features Shawn and one other major character, and each chapter has a separate summary. Mostly friendship and family-centric, with a tiny hint of Shawn/Juliet.
1. Promise

**BETWEEN YOU AND ME  
**

**Summary: **Tags to Shawn Takes a Shot in the Dark. Each chapter features Shawn and one other character, and each chapter has a separate summary.

**A/N: With post mid-season finale inspiration, I wrote a lot of disconnected fics related to Shawn Takes a Shot in the Dark. Then when I was looking back at them, I realized they all had a couple of things in common. They all at least mentioned what happened in the episode after the fact, and they all took place between only two people, always Shawn and someone else. I decided that I could lump them together into a mega fic. However, because they were originally separate, they have slightly different writing styles. For instance, one of these will be in first person, directed to another character...so I'm hoping that won't bother/confuse readers...**

**Chapter One: Promise**

**Summary: ****She's hurt, yes, but that it isn't what matters. What matters is that Shawn is alive and going to be just fine.**

Sitting in the hall outside his room, she wonders how this could possibly be the hardest part of this entire experience. She's waiting to go in and see him for the first time since it happened, and it doesn't really make sense. The hardest part should have been waiting to find out if he'd _live..._why does this wait seem just as difficult to endure?

She let Henry and Gus go in first to have some privacy together with Shawn. She told herself it was out of respect for Shawn and his family (everyone who's anyone knows that Shawn regards Gus as a brother), but really, it was just an excuse to put off the moment.

Because as much as she wants to deny it, she's not entirely sure she wants to see him.

She's fiddling with the fabric on the seat of her chair when Henry and Gus step out of Shawn's room. Gus is smiling with pure relief, and Henry looks relaxed and calm – far calmer than he's been all day.

She's more nervous than she's been all day.

It's funny, the way these things work out.

Truth be told, she can't quite pinpoint the source of her nervousness. It may have something to do with the phone call and those three little words that have the potential to make an already awkward situation practically unbearable. It may have something to do with her vulnerability, or the pink toothbrush, or just being so afraid to lose him for good. Or maybe she's just going crazy, because she knows that the thought of seeing him alive should comfort her instead of making her want to run like hell in the other direction.

"Shawn wants to see you now, Detective." says Mr. Spencer, and Juliet is taken quite suddenly out of her thoughts. She can put off the moment no longer, it seems.

She swallows, nods, and stands. She grits her teeth and tries to make her face a mask of nothing before turning the door handle and stepping inside his room.

Then she sees him, and it doesn't matter. Everything melts away, and it's just Shawn, smiling sheepishly at her from his hospital bed.

Just Shawn.

"That's weird. I asked them to send in my favorite detective...where is the Lassinator, anyway?"

Juliet smiles, shakes her head. He makes it easy for her to relax. "Shawn..." she says, sighing his name and it's like the relief didn't truly hit until this moment. It's overwhelming and she's so happy that for a second, it's hard for her to breathe. She doesn't feel the need to keep her distance, not like she thought she would. She walks across the room and stands beside his bed – close enough to reach out and touch her palm to his cheek and...

But she doesn't. Of course not.

Shawn, for the great psychic that he is, is completely oblivious to her wishful thoughts. He follows his joke until the end.

"Just messing with you, Jules. I could never choose between the two of you...it's a complete tie. I suppose I could flip a coin, if you ever need an actual ranking..."

"Ah, I feel so special." she quips back.

And then she sees it. Maybe it's the kind of clues that only a detective can pick up on, but they are definitely present. Shawn's eyes lighten and the lines of his face soften and even the way he holds himself up against the pillows changes. He relaxes, and she's startled to realize that this means he had been nervous too.

She's never really known Shawn Spencer to be nervous, unless it was anytime Gus was in danger, and that was more terror than true nervousness.

_She makes him nervous_.

That should mean something, but she can't process it. Not right now, because Shawn is speaking again.

"Hey, I just wanna say thanks for getting me out of that mess."

"It was mostly your dad and Lassiter..."

"They figured out the clues, but you passed them along. Exactly what I needed you to do." he says softly.

"Of course, Shawn. I'm just – I'm really glad you're okay." It isn't everything she wants to say – not even close – but it's the most she can do right now.

"Yeah, me too. I really didn't want to end up like poor Ryan."

"Ryan?"

"Oh. I never did find out his real name. You know him as Garth Longmore. But he looked like a Ryan to me. He wasn't all bad, not in the end. I don't...God, it's horrible."

He closes his eyes for a moment, and Juliet knows he's remembering Garth being shot. She wants to comfort him and make the memories go away, but she can't fix it for him – and probably shouldn't try.

Instead, she shifts the focus of the conversation. "Shawn, can you promise me something?"

He opens his eyes and looks at her with interest. "Anything you wish." he grins.

She doesn't smile back. "Never put any of us through this again. Please _try _to be more careful. I can't handle..." she trails off and silently asks him to understand.

Shawn sobers up immediately. His eyes fall away from her face and onto his bedsheets. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Just promise me."

He smiles gratefully, probably because she didn't guilt trip him (well, not much) and she didn't lecture like Henry certainly did. His smile is sincere and warm, and her heart breaks just a bit, but that's not what matters. He's alive and that's all she needs from him.

That and this promise.

He gives her a look, one that – in her mind – seems soul penetrating. His voice is straight and serious and just a tad apologetic. "I promise to be more careful."

"And you don't break promises, right?" she ventures, just to be sure.

He grins. "I break promises all the time, Jules. But you know what? I have never in my life broken a _pinky _promise, and I don't plan to start now." With that, he raises his hand and holds out his pinky finger.

Juliet grins back, and for this moment, at least, the awkwardness is gone. She holds her hand out and wraps her pinky around his, and it's silly and ridiculous and _Shawn, _but in all honesty, she wouldn't have it any other way.

**A/N: Expect quick updates; I'm going to finish this one off before the new episodes begin. Reviews are always appreciated. :) **


	2. Sand and Surf

**Chapter Two: Sand and Surf**

**Summary: ****They spend that day on the beach, taking in the sunshine and just being grateful for friendship and being alive. Strong Gus and Shawn friendship.**

A few days after Shawn is released from the hospital, Gus calls off from work (without any coaxing from Shawn, surprisingly enough), and the two of them spend the gorgeous sunny day at the beach.

Gus knows that Shawn should be resting, but he also knows that Shawn won't anyway, so he might as well spend this day with his best friend.

The beach isn't too crowded, shockingly, and they find a spot well away from everyone else.

In the beginning, they're both wearing shirts and shorts, but they soon discard them so that they're in nothing but swim trunks. They step into the water and swim. Well, Gus swims while Shawn sort of ducks in and out of the water, made awkward due to the sling on his arm that Gus insisted he keep on – even though it looks ridiculous over Shawn's bare skin.

They aren't loud or particularly talkative; they just enjoy the sun and the ocean and the company.

Eventually, Shawn gets tired of the sling and complains. "Hey, it really can't hurt too badly to take this thing off. I mean, it feels fine. What do you think, Gus?"

Gus sighs. "Whatever you want, Shawn. Just don't tell your dad that I let you take it off for this. You're supposed to be keeping your shoulder rested..."

Shawn laughs and splashes water at Gus's face. "Dude, what do you mean _let me_? What are you now, my keeper?"

"Hell yeah, I'm you're keeper." replies Gus, splashing Shawn back forcefully. "I've always been your keeper. Why do you think I felt so guilty when you..." Gus trails off and looks away.

Silence falls and the moment is heavy with unsaid words. Shawn can't take it, so he submerges his head in water to break away. He gives no thought to his sling, which is being thoroughly drenched on his arm, and he gives no thought to his patched up and healing wound. Instead, he sits on the ocean floor and exhales bubbles. One second, two seconds, three seconds. A peaceful realization comes over him as he sits there, calmly counting down time. He realizes that the ocean and the beach and Gus are his sanctuaries, his safe places when the world has tried so valiantly to make him crumble.

And that's why Gus suggested they come here. Because they both could use a safe place today.

Shawn comes up slowly. He's not in deep water, so all he does is stand and let himself rise to the surface.

Gus watches his best friend emerge, and when their eyes meet, they both know that swim time is over. Without a word, they head back to the shore and out of the ocean.

But they don't leave the beach, not at all. Instead, they sit on the sand by their clothes, letting the sun dry them since neither of them thought to bring a towel.

And they just sit together, watching the people in the distance and the waves and the clouds.

Shawn is the first to break the silence, but he doesn't turn to look at Gus. He just keeps looking at the horizon. "It wasn't your fault, you know. It was mine, of course. Really stupid of me to not wait for you guys. I also really shouldn't go running my mouth to suspects, either. But it wasn't _your_ fault at all."

Gus digs his toes into the sand. "I know. But I wish I could have helped out, somehow. So that you wouldn't have had to go through that."

"It's okay. It wasn't that bad. Well, it was, but I made it through. You know, it's like everyone expects me to be a bit more...affected. Like paranoid or depressed or something. But I feel..._good. _Just happy that I'm actually still here. I don't see the point of dwelling on it. And hey, it sure makes for one helluva story, right?"

"Hell of a story," Gus agrees. "Gunshot wounds, high speed chases, you jumping on Lassie's car."

Shawn nods and a comfortable silence falls between them.

It doesn't last.

"I was scared, you know." says Gus quietly. "Like, you can't even imagine how terrified I was for you."

"I _can_ imagine." replies Shawn, and an odd shiver passes over his face. " It's the same as when I let you go into the bank, only to find out it was being robbed."

"That wasn't your fault. And it's not really the same. I wasn't shot."

"No, but I was terrified anyway."

Another silence falls and they listen to the sound of the waves and the people and the birds.

There is a moment of heaviness and understanding between them. The fear and the pain and the what-ifs crash together and make them both dizzy, and they're connected with this silent storm of emotion.

It only lasts a few seconds, and then it's over.

Then the mood shifts, passes, and Shawn feels something new. A change. Quite suddenly, he is no longer afraid. He's not reliving the nightmare in the back of his mind, and he doesn't think he'll ever truly go back to that _dark _place again.

It happened, but that's not what matters.

What matters is that he's happy here, beside Gus. Content. Carefree.

Shawn turns and gives Gus a sincere smile. "Hey, remember that time my dad fell asleep on the beach? And he was roasted alive, pretty much?"

Gus laughs. "Of course I do. You know what the funniest thing about that was? The fact that you didn't call him dad for a whole week after that. You called him Lobster-man."

And now Shawn's laughing too. "The resemblance was uncanny, you have to admit."

"It really was."

Shawn grins and stands, and he knows they're okay. It's back to easy banter and steadfast friendship, back to the way things are supposed to be.

"Dude, I'm starving. How do you feel about splitting a ham and pineapple pizza?"

Gus stands too and begins putting on his clothes. Shawn does the same. "If we're getting your toppings again, then you're buying. For once in your life."

"But Gus! You know I don't have any money on me, and I really want some pineapple goodness..."

"Too bad, we're having pepperoni and sausage if I'm paying."

"Gus, you owe me!"

"Oh yeah? How so?"

"You wouldn't let me jump on your car when I desperately needed to! I think that constitutes a free pizza with my toppings on it."

"It's a company car, Shawn." scowls Gus, and Shawn rolls his eyes.

"Whatever, man. I'd let you jump on my company car."

"You don't have one."

"Now you're just getting technical on me."

With the sun shining down on them, and his best friend beside him, Gus knows – just as Shawn knows – that everything really will be fine now. They've gotten through the worst of it, together. All it took was a trip back to the beach, their sanctuary, to make them feel safe and at home again.

**A/N: Having no medical knowledge on bullet wounds whatsoever, I took a bit of creative license by letting Shawn swim in salt water only a few days after being released from the hospital. Just ignore it if you know a lot better than I do...:P And this ending was a little cheesy, but it does work and fit the tone I was going for. **


	3. Father and Son

**Chapter Three: Father and Son**

**Summary: Lassiter and Shawn have a heart-to-heart. Sort of. Well, not really. Just a conversation. Wait, no, maybe it's more than a conversation, but less than a heart-to-heart. They should really have a term for that. Not slash, light Carlton/Shawn friendship-ish.**

About a week after the kidnapping, Shawn is back to his old self.

He hangs around the station, impressing everyone with an exaggerated survival story and annoying the hell out of a certain Head Detective.

Lassiter is ignoring him the best he can (which isn't well), until Shawn says something that makes Carlton look up with actual interest.

"We're not the same, you know."

"What?" asks Lassiter, not following Shawn's train of thought.

"You know how I was shot and it was really painful? Well, that wasn't anything compared to the pain you put me through, by saying that my dad and I are the same person." says Shawn, smiling slightly.

"You are the same." replies Lassiter, returning his eyes to his paperwork. He casually scratches out a few names. "Definitely your father's son. Or twin..."

Shawn's smile fades. "We are not the same. For one thing, he's a grumpy old geezer and I'm cheerful and friendly. Some people even go as far as to call me whimsy, lovable, and charming. He's been called grouchy for a majority of his life. And for another thing, have you seen us? He's pretty much bald. My hair is perfect. And _I _happen to have a sense of humor."

"You're the same, Spencer!" Lassiter growls. "Here are the facts, like them or not. You're both stubborn. Both of you step over normal lines, normal boundaries. Both of you try to take over my cases. Both of you give smart-ass remarks, but you're just slightly less demeaning when _you _do it. Slightly. Both of you...'see' things that even I can't. Everything that matters is the same."

Shawn glares at Lassiter, and that takes the detective by surprise. Because he can tell that Shawn is honest-to-God actually getting a little angry about this.

"I'm not the same." he says coldly.

And that tone just pisses Lassiter off, and now he's mad too. "Spencer. Do you even know the hell you put him through? You do realize, you _have _to realize, that it's only because of him that we found you? You're alive today because he picked out your clues. You're alive because he wouldn't give up, because he saw the things you left for him."

"Spare me the lecture, Lass. I know. He's my father, okay? I love him, or whatever, but that doesn't mean I want to be like him."

"Spencer, grow up. Your father would travel to the ends of the earth to save you. Didn't you ever consider that maybe he's not such a bad person to emulate?"

That gives Shawn a pause. "So you're saying I should want to be like him?" he asks skeptically.

"I'm saying that you could do worse."

Shawn takes in the words, then sighs. He picks a pen off of Lassiter's desk and absentmindedly twirls it around in his fingers. "Maybe you're right, okay? Maybe I was getting a little too, uh, defensive at being compared to him. I know he saved my life and despite being the supreme grouch of the world, I know he cares about me. And yeah, I suppose I could do worse. Happy now?"

Lassiter scowls and snatches his pen back out of Shawn's hand. "No. You're still here, annoying the hell out of me."

"Well, Lassie, what can I say?" asks Shawn, grinning. "Annoying you seems to be a Spencer trait. And, as you already said, I am definitely my father's son..."

**A/N: Wouldn't expect a chapter entitled Father and Son to feature Lassie and Shawn, huh? **


	4. Constant

**A/N: Final chapter, and my personal favorite. Calling this a 'tag' is a bit of a stretch, because over half of it revolves around Shawn's childhood and not the episode. However, the end is where it all comes around again, and the focus shifts to the episode, so I thought it was fine to put it with the others. Also, if this seems slightly out of character, sorry, but I was trying to go for things that are fairly subconscious and would **_**never**_** be said out loud. Also, this format was inspired by the awesome Shules fic, I Listen To Your Silence, by ThousandFreckles. I highly recommend it! **

**Chapter Four: Constant**

**Summary: Henry does everything for a reason, and his name is Shawn. Henry perspective. **

On that first night that I hold you in my arms, I make a promise to you.

_When you are helpless, I will take care of you._

The first time I meet you, I take in everything about you. You're a funny little creature, all wrinkles and pudginess and innocence.

You're perfect.

Mini-fingers and mini-toes, a little man in the making.

It's hard to imagine that one day, you won't be so dependent on your parents, won't be just this helpless newborn in my arms. You'll be big and strong someday, and you'll be able to take on the world.

But I'll still be here if you need me.

_As you learn and grow, I will watch over you. _

I've never seen you as happy as you were on the day that you met your first – and last – best friend.

So his parents and I arrange a play date, and I watch you two together.

He's a cautious kid, whereas you're reckless.

He tries to keep you out of trouble, for the most part.

And though it probably wouldn't matter anyway, I approve.

_When the world leaves you lost, I will guide you._

Try as I might to prevent it, you take after your Uncle Jack.

He's hardly ever around, but he's your hero.

I watch as you take in every word he says.

So when he promises to come around on your birthday, and doesn't, I can see your confusion.

Your disappointment.

And this should be one of those life lessons, but I can't make myself explain that your hero is an unreliable flake.

So I lie and say that Uncle Jack sent me some money to buy you another present, and then we go to the store and pick one out. That night, I let you have two pieces of cake and an extra bowl of ice cream.

I wait until the day after your birthday to push you harder, so that you won't end up like Jack. I try to teach you to recognize the lies so you won't be disappointed when he – or anyone else – makes false promises.

_Whenever you run, I will wait._

It isn't long before things get difficult.

Maybe I push you too hard, and then you push back, and then you're a teenager and nothing I say matters. We fight and the family falls apart, and one day, you're just gone.

I spend that first night of realization, trying to pinpoint the precise moment when everything started going so wrong.

But I don't give up on you.

I wait, and even though I move to a new city for awhile, I still hope to hear from you.

I save the postcards.

I save the postcards, and I wait.

I will always wait for you.

_When you're in trouble, I will rescue you._

When you're shot and kidnapped, I find myself in the worst experience of my life.

Worry and fear and internal panic.

But I mean what I say – I will bust down any door to find you.

And then you're safe, and I cling to you. You fall unconscious from blood loss and exhaustion, but I take your hand and give it a squeeze, and you'll never remember this, but I am here for you.

Every second, I am _here. _

_And when words fail you, I will understand._

It's amazing, in the end, how very much like me you are.

You, like me, find it difficult to say those three words.

You know the ones.

A little over a week after you've been released from the hospital after being shot, you come over to my house.

I offer you a beer and you open a bag of chips, and we watch the baseball game together. On the commercial break, you turn to me, and I see it in your eyes.

I see those three words and a desperation for me to understand, after all you've been through. Your mouth opens in hesitation, because it's hard for you. I know it is, so I won't make you do this.

You don't need to do it.

I already know.

So I cut you off. "Pass those chips over, will ya?"

You smile in relief and give me a small nod of recognition, and in that second, I realize what you must see.

You see those same three words in my eyes.

Somehow, against all odds, you understand.

_I love you. _

**A/N: Told you this one was considerably different. :P Looking back over it, I actually see some connecting points that I didn't realize were there before. It mentions Gus and Shawn, and Gus trying to keep Shawn out of trouble. It mentions Shawn looking for someone to emulate. Knowing this, I wrote Juliet's chapter with the themes of waiting and promises, although it's not quite as good of a connection as I had originally intended it to be. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are greatly appreciated. **


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